High Temperature Spin Testing

Validates Turbine Engine Component

T
Rob Murner he demand for more fuel-efficient turbine engines in aircraft is being driven by soaring fuel
Test Devices Inc. prices, unrest in oil-producing nations, global demand to save the environment, and cor-
Hudson, Mass. porate demand to cut costs. While there is immense pressure on design engineers to de-
velop these engines, the “heat” is on test engineers to create new ways to validate component parts
Component that will run, spin, and vibrate in hotter, harsher turbine engine environments that could reach
temperatures over 2000°F.
spin testing
at engine Testing components is critical
temperatures When an engine runs at higher temperatures and pressures, it extracts more energy from the
offers a fuel, making the engine more efficient. However, extreme heat and higher running speeds put
added stress on blades and rotors, which requires new classes of materials having improved per-
method to formance. Engine components are subjected to stress and degradation through thermal interac-
reliably tion, creep, erosion, vibration, and hot corrosion.
evaluate Newer engines will create hotter, harsher environments than those in which their predecessor
components models operated. It is desirable to have testing options that simulate these conditions to validate
in extreme the performance of critical components, especially when performance data for new materials are
lacking. Isolating and controlling
operating test conditions are critical to gather
environments. essential technical data in advance
of the test phase of an engine pro-
gram.
Test engineers and modelers
must simulate what design engi-
neers create to evaluate the per-
formance of materials, coatings,
and parts that will operate in the
new generation of lighter weight,
hotter-running engines. Test De-
vices is developing equipment and
methodologies that better simu-
late real-world engine conditions
(Fig. 1).
Some unique test capabilities
that Test Devices offers are high
cycle fatigue, radial or axial ther-
mal gradient, radial growth, ther-
mal mechanical fatigue, and strain
surveys. The specific range and
control of spin testing includes a
maximum speed of 160,000 rpm
with an accuracy of ±0.01% at max-
imum speed for overspeed testing
and ±1 rpm for vibration mode
(Dynamic Spin Testing). Drives for
speed ranges are 20k, 30k, 40k,
60k, 100k, and 160k.

Need for
material performance data
Rotor, damper, and blade configuration of a jet engine.
Development of more fuel efficient jet engines requires tests to
Historically, engineers and sci-
validate component parts that will run, spin, and vibrate in entists have been able to refer in
hotter, harsher turbine engine environments. part to existing bodies of informa-

ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MAY 2011 39

 tion, models, test results, and field experiences as they re-
fine and modify engine parts. But with manufacturers
bringing dramatically new components, materials, and
coatings to market, there is a limited body of knowledge
scientists and engineers can rely on to confirm their as-
sumptions. Some general examples of this are the intro-
duction of nonmetallic airfoils into the flow path and
advanced thermal barrier coatings. As engines run hot-
ter and more efficient, different prod-
ucts of combustion and other
chemicals are introduced and can be
increasingly damaging in high-tem-
perature environments. One of the
best ways for developers to vali-
date new designs, concepts, or
analytic models of either new ma-
Fig. 1 — Dynamic spin testing
chamber used to evaluate blade
resonance by simultaneously
subjecting components to the
centrifugal, vibratory and thermal
stresses of an operating engine.
The test can provide critical
performance data to speed
up project
completion,reduce
total testing costs,
and lower the risk
of in-service
component failure.
Fig. 2 — Portion of integrally bladed disk.
40 ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MAY 2011
terials or designs is through rotational testing.
Managing resonant vibration of compressor and turbine
blades presents a technical challenge for jet engine and in-
dustrial gas turbine (IGT) programs. Under certain condi-
tions of operation, blades vibrate in response to pulsing
flow from upstream stages. If common power settings co-
incide with blade resonant modes, blades can crack and
fracture from high-cycle fatigue during operation.
Spin testing
Increasingly, engineers are using Dynamic Spin Test-
ing to better understand and validate the life and integrity
of airfoils and integrally bladed disks (Fig. 2). This testing
evaluates blade resonance by simultaneously subjecting
components to the centrifugal, vibratory, and thermal
stresses of an operating engine. Bladed rotor components
are tested fully assembled or with custom designed scaled
rotors in a manner similar to how they operate in the en-
gine. Rotor assemblies are accelerated to designated engine
speeds while various excitation methods are used to pro-
duce resonant blade vibrations that simulate engine blade-
to-stator interaction, producing of various bending,
torsional, axial, “t-shirt,” and other modes.
Blade validation testing under these more realistic end-
use conditions better simulates strain gradients, untwist,
blade/rotor interaction, etc., when compared to current
methods such as shaker tables and static tensile testing.
Tests can be performed in ambient or high temperature
(isothermal or gradient) conditions. This unique capability
is beneficial as manufacturers accelerate research and de-
velopment of high-efficiency engines using new innovative
materials.
Controlled testing parameters
During Dynamic Spin Testing, high-cycle fatigue con-
ditions can be introduced in a very controlled manner and
accurately measured with nonintrusive stress-measure-
ment systems. The test system is designed to dwell at spec-
ified resonant frequencies for 100-million cycles or more to
perform Goodman Validations. By producing realistic res-
onant vibration, Dynamic Spin Testing accurately confirms
expected modal frequencies. Precise speed control allows
for very slow resonance crossings as well. This “slow
sweep” capability helps to initially identify modes, distin-
guish between coupled modes, accurately measure ampli-
fication factors that take time to build, and determine
damping (Q factors), thus allowing for very effective damp-
ing analysis and validation. Finally, the ability to hold res-
onance for long periods of time often results in broken
blades, allowing for blade failure analysis, crack growth
propagation, and validation of surface treatment and vari-
ous repair methods (Fig 3).
Typical approaches to examining blade resonant be-
havior use shaker tables. These bench tests do not include
the effects of centrifugal loads (strain gradients, untwist,
blade/rotor interaction, etc.), a critical driver of blade be-
havior. Separate tests, in addition to shaker tables, are
needed to exert thermal stress, and because each test is
Fig. 3 — The ability of dynamic spin testing to hold resonance
for long periods of time often results in broken blades, allowing
for blade failure analysis, crack growth propagation, and
validation of surface treatment and various repair methods.

conducted separately, they deliver isolated information

that does not show the combined effect of heat, vibration,
and centrifugal loads on a rotating part. In contrast, Dy-
namic Spin Testing provides focused data under more re-
alistic engine conditions, offering a more robust, in-depth
solution.
While Dynamic Spin Testing creates precise simula-
tions, live engine testing remains the most comprehen-
sive method of evaluation. However, it is risky and
expensive, costing up to $100,000 per hour in operating
and staffing charges. In addition, given the harsh operat-
ing environment and lack of accessibility, live engine test-
ing may not provide clean data for component evaluation.
An additional problem with engine testing is the danger
of damage to the entire engine if an individual compo-
nent should fail.
Dynamic Spin Testing provides critical performance
data to speed project completion, reduces total testing
costs, and lowers the risk of in-service component failure.
This form of testing is becoming increasingly critical, in www.IpsenUSA.com/titan
the rush to get new engines through certification as quickly
as possible.

Dynamic Spin Testing is a registered trademark

of Test Devices Inc.

For more information: Rob Murner is president of Test De-

vices Inc., 571 Main St., Hudson, MA 01749; tel: 978/562-
4951; fax: 978/562-7939; email: rmurner@testdevices.com;
www.testdevices.com.

ADVANCED MATERIALS & PROCESSES • MAY 2011 41